Interview with Author – Scott Kinkade

About Scott Kinkade:
I live in Oklahoma where I struggles to put words to paper. I graduated from Oklahoma Christian University with a BA in Arts. My major was English/Writing. I enjoy reading, writing, TV, anime, videogames and comic books/manga, the latter of which heavily inspire my writing.

I welcome visitors to my web site, ScottKinkade.net. You can also follow me on Twitter @SK_Author, and friend me on Facebook at.

What inspires you to write?
I liken writing to playing with action figures as a kid. There's a thrill to setting up your characters and giving them reasons to fight, whereupon you choreograph the whole thing. Writing is a deeper extension of that because you add emotions to the mix, and create worlds far richer than any playset.

Tell us about your writing process.
I have never really outlined. I work out the plot in my head and write it out in scenes. Sometimes I get stuck and have to jump ahead to another scene while trying to iron out the details. I would say I'm a seat of the pants writer. Sometimes I do concept art to help me describe something in the story. I don't really do character sketches. I get an idea of a particular character and flesh him/her out over the course of a story.

For Fiction Writers: Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
As I said, I come up with a character and flesh them out over the course of the story. They tell me what they would do and say in a particular situation. It is not unheard of for me to plan for them to do something, only to realize they wouldn't do that.

What advice would you give other writers?
Make sure your story passes the Bechdel Test. It is very important in this day and age to have realistic depictions of women in your story.

How did you decide how to publish your books?
I went with self-publishing because it's a way to get your foot in the literary door and because publishers can't always see the value in your story. You can totally make it as an indie author, although it is much harder.

What do you think about the future of book publishing?
The marketplace is becoming more and more crowded with the rise of self-publishing. I've discovered some gems that way, but there is a lot of crap being produced. People don't put as much effort into editing their stories as they need to, which has me wary for the future. On the bright side, there is a lot quality coming forth on the traditional publishing side.

What do you use?: Professional Editor, Professional Cover Designer, Beta Readers